Confit Duck Leg with Cherry Mustard

Once again, it proves to be a good idea to actually check you have the ingredients and the time before starting to cook this recipe. You think you can get duck fat just about anywhere these days until you try to buy it on the day you've promised to make this for guests. Let's not mention the dried sour cherries which apparently are only available in the supermarket close to said guest's home. I know I went to nearly every other shop north of the river!

Also, defrost the duck legs early on a cold day where you need to be out cherry and duck fat hunting.

But we digress. First, blitz some rosemary, thyme, coriander seed cloves, cinnamon stick and peppercorns with rather a lot of sea salt and rub into the defrosted,  dried duck and leave covered in the fridge for two hours.

The duck chilling in the fridge, it was time to attend to the Cherry Mustard. Not having been able to source the dried, sour cherries, I made do with tinned cherries and substituted some of the quantity with cranberries to add that sour taste. First one had to combine red wine, red wine vinegar, and sugar and simmer until reduced, thick and glossy - another candidate to be forgotten and left to burn but I managed to concentrate and it survived to be added to the cherry mixture which had been blitzed in the food processor. This made a very tasty sauce and I'll try it again with the real sour cherries one day.

Then to cook the duck. The base of the casserole dish was covered with thyme, rosemary and black peppercorns and half of a whole head of garlic. The duck legs were placed on top and then more thyme, rosemary and the other half of the garlic head placed on top. Wow, so much flavour. he grillThe duck was then totally covered with melted duck fat and cooked in the oven for THREE hours.

When cooked, the duck was drained and then popped in a very hot oven to crisp up. Divine, and as good as anything I had in France if I may say so myself.

The recipe calls for Kohlrabi Slaw but for a midwinter meal I substituted with Roasted Carrots with Coriander Seeds and Garlic (Page 92). This simply a matter of roasting carrots with honey, olive oil, garlic, s and p and coriander seeds of course. Thyme sprigs were added for about the last 3 minutes before serving.